Local economic development policies and tourism. An approach to sustainability and culture

The economic development of an area has been largely discussed in literature. It is linked to the economic structure and resources of a territory. Moreover, also infrastructure and investments may affect the local economic development. Tourism is an economic activity in which visitors move to an area to visit a particular destination. Tourism has different purposes and may also be complementary to other local economic activities. As all economic activities which affect the development of an area, also tourism has to be managed on routes and specific context. The role of tourism is important in the context of local economic development. Public institutions have to be aware of the capacities of an area and try to help its development. However, if not well managed the local resources may be destroyed by tourist. A local tourism policy towards sustainability is indispensable for the future development of an area. This paper is organized as follow. The first part will analyze the role of tourism in local area. Subsequently, a model of local economic development and its application on tourism is investigated. Latter, the role and implications for local policy of sustainable tourism are shown. Finally, some conclusions and policy implications are drawn.